Simply, plagiarism is stealing and passing off the ideas or words of another as one's own without crediting the source. Every school, university, seminary has an anti-plagiarism policy that results in either failing the assignment or the course, or even being expelled. Countless journalists have lost their jobs due to plagiarism.
Why is it that some pastors think they can plagiarize entire sermons without consequences?
The truth is, they shouldn't. YOU can do something about it.
Let me offer a few tips for what to do if you suspect your pastor is plagiarizing.
1. Gather basic information about the sermon in question for your research.
The very first plagiarized sermon I discovered had three main alliterated points. I googled the points and found the sermon. Another plagiarized sermon I found had the exact same unique/unusual title (actually it was part of a three part series) as the original sermon. On yet another plagiarized sermon, I took note of a very specific quote from the pastor (there are 912 Hebrew words in 1 Samuel 17), and it let me to this website.
2. Ask someone else to look at your information to confirm whether this really is an issue of plagiarism.
There is an old saying that there is nothing new under the sun. It's possible for a pastor to come up with a sentence or an idea that is very similar to someone else. If the amount of plagiarism is small or inconsequential, you may benefit from a second opinion. On the other hand, it if it clearly and totally plagairized word-for-word, you may need to consult another person, but for a different reason. Either way, this is a very serious issue, and the next steps require boldness and integrity on your part. You will need to be certain that you can prove your allegations.
3. Share this information with a second person and plan to meet with the pastor.
The reason for doing this is purely biblical. 1 Timothy 5:19 states, "Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses." The reason for this is because of the elevated status of teachers/pastors. With greater authority comes greater responsibility. And it also comes with greater protection. Matthew 18 describes how to confront sin between believers, but for a pastor there needs to be two or more witnesses to validate the accusation.
4. Schedule a meeting with a pastor/elder of your church other than the plagiarizing pastor.
If your church has a biblical form of church government, it may be the case that the other pastors/elders are aware of this problem and are addressing the issue privately. Part of the reason for multiple pastors/elders is specifically for the purpose of pastoral protection and accountability.
5. Insist on speaking directly with the plagiarizing pastor.
I would recommend that you along with another witness and the other pastor/elder meet with the plagiarizing pastor as soon as is convenient. Even if the other pastor/elder wants to handle the issue internally, still insist on speaking with the pastor directly. This will ensure that the issue is actually brought up in case the other pastor is not trustworthy or lacks the integrity to confront the pastor. It will also allow for future discussions of accountability and encouragement with your pastor.
Hopefully this will cause the pastor to repent and ask for forgiveness. Depending on the extent and frequency of his plagiarism, it may be necessary to address the congregation and assess your church/denomination's policy for violations of pastoral qualifications.
6. If your pastor refuses to repent, consult your church/denomination's policy for church discipline.
This kind of confrontation is not fun, but it is necessary for the purpose of maintaining integrity within the Christian faith and the church. If this type of deception is occurring at the highest level of leadership in the church, it is likely there are other types of sin also being committed and ignored.
In my case, the church did not have a biblical form of church government, the pastor refused to repent, and several of the church leaders and deacons helped to cover up the plagiarism. There were additional conflicts and deception going on that were uncovered during this process. These sins were also being tolerated and covered up, so suffice it to say, I ended up leaving the church.
If you can think of another step that should be taken, or if you disagree with one of the above steps, feel free to comment below.
No comments:
Post a Comment